Paramount reimburses Trump for legal dispute over CBS broadcast, to the tune of $16 million
In a significant turn of events, media conglomerate Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former U.S. President Donald Trump over an alleged deceptive edit in a 2020 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, who was Trump's opponent in the 2024 presidential election.
The lawsuit, which was filed in response to a feature on CBS News, owned by Paramount, was closely watched by advocates for press freedom and journalists at CBS. The case arose from a "60 Minutes" interview broadcast in October during the election campaign, during which two separate clips showing Harris giving different answers to a question were aired on 60 Minutes and Face The Nation.
Trump's legal team argued that the edits misrepresented Harris's answers and were intended to unfairly help her politically. The president's lawyer also argued that the edited clip caused confusion and was misleading to voters. However, Paramount and CBS had rejected these contentions and had sought to have the lawsuit dismissed.
CBS stated that the edited clip of Harris's reply on 60 Minutes was made to be more succinct. The network clarified that the edits were made to ensure the interview was engaging and easy to follow, rather than to manipulate Harris's responses.
Despite the settlement, there was no apology from Paramount or CBS. The money from the settlement will go towards Donald Trump's future presidential library and not directly to the 79-year-old American leader.
This settlement comes after a similar case in December, when ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit by the president, agreeing to pay $15 million towards his presidential library. The Freedom of the Press Foundation, a media advocacy group, had threatened to file a lawsuit in protest if a settlement was reached.
The settlement of this lawsuit has raised questions about the future of free speech in the media and the potential for similar lawsuits in the future. As the media landscape continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how these developments will impact the relationship between politicians, the media, and the public.
[1] CNN, "Trump settles lawsuit with Paramount over allegedly misleading interview with Kamala Harris", 7th March 2023,
[2] The New York Times, "Trump Settles Lawsuit Over Edited Interview with Kamala Harris", 7th March 2023,
The settlement between Donald Trump and Paramount, regarding the allegedly deceptive edit in a 2020 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, has sparked debate about the future of free speech in the media and the potential for more similar lawsuits in politics. This development follows a previous settlement by ABC News over a defamation lawsuit by Trump.
